Pentecost: The Celebration of the Birth of the Church

Pentecost, the celebration of the birth of the Church, is soon upon us. It is the celebration of the day that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles gathered together in the upper room after having witnessed the Lord’s ascension back to the Father. Matthew tells us that when the disciples saw him on the mount in Galilee, they worshiped him, but they doubted, even then, even after all that they had seen and heard. Still, Jesus commissioned them to, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt. 28:19).

In the Acts of the Apostles, we find the disciples gathered together in the upper room, the same room in which they had celebrated Passover, the Last Supper with Jesus. We can imagine that they are huddled together for support, praying together, some still burdened with doubt, some feeling abandoned, all still trying to figure out what to do next. Maybe they had forgotten Jesus’ promise to them: “But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (Jn. 16:7). Little could they know, imagine, or perceive as yet what that meant, or how their lives were about to be changed, forever.

And then it happened, Jesus’ promise was fulfilled in their midst. “Suddenly, there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each of them. And they were filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:2-4).

In a flash, their hearts were filled with the Spirit, and they were filled with an uncontainable joy and were charged with heroic fervor to begin the great mission that Jesus had commissioned them to undertake before he returned to the Father in heaven. Their timidity and doubt vanished. And the message for us is clear, too. The fact that the Spirit enables them to speak in the many languages of the world made it clear that the Gospel is meant for all peoples. Yes, even the Gentiles. All peoples.

Jesus promised that he would be with us until the end of the age. The Spirit is Jesus’ promise to be with us in every circumstance of our lives. It is the Spirit that teaches us to surrender ourselves into his hands, living in trust and in hope as we follow the way of the disciples in our own day and time. We are his disciples here and now. We have been given the Spirit in our Baptisms, and because of this, we, too, are empowered to break out of our fears, our doubts, and to believe in Jesus’ promise. We are to be the models of the faith to the “Gentiles” of our own time: those who have never heard of Jesus, those who have heard but have not understood, those who have abandoned Jesus, charmed by the enticements of the world, and, yes, even to those who deny or despise Jesus.

How can others know if the Spirit is within us? Is our faith marked by joy? Do we ‘preach’ the Gospel through our compassion, hospitality, mercy, kindness, and joyful love for all peoples and all of God’s Creation? Or do we come across instead as just plain old ‘preachy’ drones, full of rules, demands, criticisms, and exclusiveness? Do our daily lives witness to others the way, the truth, and the life of Jesus? Do people encounter Jesus’ love for them through us?

Given that our times are so full of division, so wracked with violence, both close to home and far away, or are dulled with self-righteous apathy and indifference, we need to pray, especially as Christian believers, for the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The world needs Christian disciples filled with the courage, faith, and commitment of the Spirit as much today as it did when the disciples of Jesus first received the Spirit on Pentecost day 2,026 years ago in that upper room. Let us pray, then, for the gift of the Spirit in our own daily lives. “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and renew the face of the earth.” Amen!